Riddle Me This
by telephone czar
Summary: The one most important man in the magical world has chosen to meddle in time to destroy Voldemort. Now a young girl has to travel through time to stop the most destructive man in history.
1. A Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, you know the drill.

A/N: This isn't my frist Harry Potter fanfic but my first one of this caliber. So don't be too harsh guys. Thanks!

A man was sitting ina highly pollished room, an office that looked hardly lived in. His face looked tired and weather by time. In one hand he held a glass of brandy and he was drumming the mahogany desk with his fingers. His face was expectant, his eyes darted to the grandfather clock in the corner from time to time. After what seemed like an eternity another man appeared in the room with a loud crack. The man at the table lifted his eyes to the guest.

"Albus," He said "Always a pleasure." But his eyes told otherwise.

"And you Rufus," The old man said. He was draped in purple robes and stared at the other man through his half moon spectacles. One hand was hidden in his robes, when he sat down the robes flapped to reveal a black injury. The man hid it quickly.

"I see you have indured injury?" The man behind the table remarked.

"I have," the other man said, "But that is not the reason you have called on me."

"Quite right Albus, quite right." The man replied, taking a swig of his brandy.

"I see you have replaced Cornelius as the new minister?" The guest remarked.

"I have," The man said refilling his glass, but making no action to offer any to his guest. The guest merely nodded, with no indication of approvel or dissaprovel.

"I have a matter of importance to discuss with you." The man grunted.

"You said so in your letter," The guest said calmly. The man opened a desk drawer and pulled out a pile of ragged parchment and shoved them towards his guest. The guest took them and scanned them, his brow furrowed.

"Tom Riddle?" The guest asked curiously.

"Its the only way Albus," the minister said.

"You certainly don't mean the ministry wants to meddle in time?"

"Its our only choice Albus, you see the evidence before you. He's quickly becoming invinsible and the ministry has agreed that this is the only solution."

"No," The guest said shaking his head, "Riddle won't listen to me."

"I know he won't, turn the page Albus." The man sipping his brandy. The guest turned the page to see a picture of a teenage girl with notes scribbled below it. In the picture she was standing next to a man that looked to be her father. It seemed to be cut out of a newspaper.

"Your telling me I have to put one of my students in danger?" The guest said, nearing anger.

"Albus, it's the only way." The man said wearily.

"I won't do it," The guest said standing up.

"Don't be unreasonable, you should know this is the only way to take Voldemort down." The man said, standing up as well.

"Not one of my students, she is only sixteen." the guest said looking at the battered piece of parchment.

"She's perfect and you know it." The man said, "You need to understand how many lives she will save."

"You of all people should know not to meddle in time." The guest said crossly.

"I wouldn't if it wasn't our only choice, our only chance. You are the ones with the means, Albus. Think about it." The man picked up the parchment and handed it to his guest. The guest took it and with a crack, he was gone. The man sighed and sat back down, he poured himself another glass of brandy with an air of satisfaction. He had accomplished the task he had set out to do.


	2. Mary

Authors Note: Sorry the second chapter took so long and is so long! Please bare with me here! MUCH LOVE!

I don't own harry potter by the way.

no disclaimer jokes!

A girl of about sixteen was sweeping the steps of her father's shop. She watched the almost deserted streets of Diagon Alley. Her home had gone from being a bustling center to a deserted street. She sighed and went back to her sweeping. One man had taken her home away from her. She gripped her broom more tightly.

"Mary!" A voice came in from the shop. The girl turned her head and her long brown hair whipped around.

"We need your help in here," Her exasperated aunt said, she was behind the counter with about fifteen people surrounding her, shoving gold galleons and bronze knuts in her face. Mary put her broom to the side and bounded into the shop. The broom shop was indeed full compared to the rest of the street, nobody wanted to stay outdoors very long in times like these. Mary had sat and watched many stores close because their owners had mysteriously dissapeared, only stores with extreme public demand like their quidditch shop and the Weasley's joke shop stayed as busy as ever.

"Everyone needs a joke these days." Her uncle had said as they looked across at the bustling joke shop.

Mary pushed her way through the throng of people and appeared beside her aunt.

"I need you to get me a firebolt servicing kit and..." Her aunt named almost ten items for her to retrieve from the back. Mary shook her head as she walked around the store retireving the items, she couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts and not have to take orders from her aunt and uncle and this store. Not that Mary wasn't greatful for them taking her in and not leaving her at some orphanage when her parents died years ago. They were aurors of the Ministry of Magic and died while waiting for backup at a former Death Eaters home. The ministry had caught the killer, but that thought never gave her solace for that day ten years ago, six is too young to experience death for the first time. Not that her aunt and uncle weren't nice, but she got the feeling they thought her more to be an employe rather than a niece.

She fetched all the items and brought them forward to her aunt, she looked at all the customers. They were probably trying out for their respective quiditch teams that year and wated to be fully prepared. Mary smiled, she used to be that girl.

After she closed the shop she waited outside for her aunt and uncle to go home. She had her firebolt in one hand, casually turning it over in her hand.

"Alright there Mary?" Her uncle asked. She nodded up at him. After him her aunt came out with two brooms, handing one to her uncle.

"Thanks Mildred." He said, mounting his broom. Mary did the same and flew up in the air.

"Wait!" Her aunt said as she sped up beside Mary and pointed her wand at Mary to camoflauge her. "You never know with this fog, it's unnatural." Her aunt said looking around the deserted street which was thick with white fog. Mary almost scoffed, she knew that this fog was all work of Lord Voldemort but Mary was a pureblood of a very long line as was her aunt and uncle. Voldemort had no bad blood, no pun intended, with the Cane's. Or at least with her aunt, uncle and Mary. After her aunt performed the incantation Mary sped upward, the wind lashed at her cheeks but Mary didn't mind, she loved to fly. To be high above everything that could possibly matter. It put her mind at ease when she was anxious, she felt completely at ease on a broom. She flew above the clouds to the east where her aunt and uncle lived. While most store owners lived above their respective shops, Aunt Mildred and Uncle Daivd perferred the country so they either apparated or flew into work. David Cane used to play on Scottland's quidditch team and loved to fly so even at his age of fifty-eight he still loved to fly just as much as Mary. Her aunt on the other hand, perferred to apparate. They were in the air about fifteen minutes when they began their decent. Mildred and David lived in a country house south of London. Mary landed softly and hopped off the broom in front of the large house. It was made of dark red brick and ivy climbed up the sides of it. In front there were manicured gardens and a walkway leading to the front, where large collums met the ground. The Cane House had been in her family for hundreds of years, it was surrounded by large tree's and was now in a purely magical neighborhood. The Malfoy's lived next door. Mary looked over to the house to the right sadly, ever since Lucius Malfoy had been in Azkaban nothing had been quite the same with the Malfoy family. David hurried in front of her and unlocked the door, it took a moment for her to move forward. The foyer was white marble and paintings of former occupants of the house graced the walls. Mary started up the grand stairwell that looped around the walls like a snake, she was followed by her aunt and uncle. Mary took the familiar path to her room and pushed open the door. The walls were a deep scarlett and a four poster bed lay in the middle with a lighter red duvet. A mahogany desk was littered with parchment from her summer homework and a large bookcase lay on the other wall. Mary glided towards the window seat that faced the backyard and colapsed into it. The sun had just set yet the grounds were still hanging on to the last remains of daylight. Mildred made sure that the grounds were kept up each day and the lake was tended to. Mary appreciated the Cane house, after all she had grown up here, but it strangely reminded her of a muesem. Unnaurally cold and filled with valuable treasures her family had collected through the ages. Her room seemed the only one in the house that looked like someone lived there. Her trunk for Hogwarts was filled to the brim with books and robes. She saw a spare piece of parchment with her O.W.L scores on them, all Outstanding's. Mary felt one of the only ways to unwind from the presures of a world was to immerse herself in something as beautifuly pointless as schoolwork. She still had no idea what she wanted to do with herself, last year when her head of house, Professor Snape, asked her what she wanted to do once she left Hogwarts and her only awnser was:

"Nothing to do with the Ministry." which got a hearty laugh out of Snape. Mary supposed it wouldn't be so bad to be a healer, and help people. She had no desire to be an auror like her parents, she was no Harry "lets save the world" Potter. Mary still hoped that in her seventh year a quidditch team would see her play and wisk her away to fly for them. She found that very unlikely though. Mary heaved herself upward to finnish her packing. Thinking of something as serious as the future was left for better times.

The next morning Mary heaved all of her things to the Malfoy's door. She had already said good-bye to her aunt and uncle and she had started the trek to the Malfoy's, the same walk she had taken all of her years going to Hogwarts. Her aunt and uncle had to be out the door at five, they never had the time to take her so they had arranged that the Malfoy's take her every year. As Mary entered the familiar house this year there seemed to be something so much different. The house was usually full of servants, expensive relics and the large ego's of the Malfoy's. This year when she saw the beautiful Narcissa, she seemed so march paler and skinnier than usual. Draco, on the other hand, was just as handsome and pompous as she remembered him. There was only a slight twinge to his pale skin that suggested he was nothing short of fabulous at the moment.

"Hello Draco," Mary said politely.

"Mary," He said, "Always a pleasure." They stood there for a moment as a house elf brought Draco's things down and Narcissa reappeared out of the parlor. Outside a car was parked.

"The Ministry provided them, they have been keeping an eye on us." Narcissa said in an almost scowl. The ride was silent, Mary could sense something off with the family other than Lucuis's absense. Once they reached Kings Cross and to platform nine and three-quarters, Narcissa hugged Draco tightly in a tearful goodbye, much to Draco's chagrin.

"Goodbye Mother, I will be alright." He said almost pushing her off.

"Goodbye Mrs. Malfoy," Mary said pleasantly. This made Narcissa break into a renewed sob and she hugged Mary tightly. This time it was Mary who had to push Narcissa off.

"I'll be late, Mrs. Malfoy!" Mary said grinning then departed with Draco into the train.

"Ever since Father went away she has been a mess." Draco sighed as they neared the usual compartment for their group of Slytherin's.

"I can understand that." Mary said to him sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll make it through Malfoy." She added with a smile. Draco turned to her and for a split second, looked terrified, but then he returned back to his usual self and laughed. As they entered the compartment Pansy Parkinson jumped up asnd threw her arms around Draco. Mary edged by them to the side of the compartment and silently wished they wouldn't put on a show for them today.

"Good summer Mary?" Blaise said to her.

"Alright, it would have been better if the ministry didn't have their head up their ass." Mary replied. Blaise laughed heartily.

"I second that, Diagon Alley looks like a ghost town these days." He said, therw was a bump forward and the train move forward. She saw the frail looking Narcissa Malfoy out the window, she had broken into another crying jag. Mary genuinely felt bad for her, the Malfoy's must of had a rough summer. Blaise and Mary talked for much of the first hour of the trip, she had always enjoyed Blaise's company. He wasn't quite like the other Slytherin's, not so obsessed with Harry Potter. Mary's views on Harry Potter was that she appreciated what he did for society but it was too much of a hastle to actualy care about him one way or another.

A few hours later Mary was roused by Blaise as he shoved a rolled up bit of parchment at her. She groaned and took it. It was a kind of invitiation, from the new Professor Slughorn.

"Now?" She asked no one in particular.

"Yes," Blaise said. He led Mary out of the car, she saw that Draco looked angirly at them as they left.

"He not get invited to this thing." Mary said, stretching her arms above her head. She was still trying to wake up.

"Yeah, not to happy about it either." Blaise said gruffly as he pulled the door open to Slughorn's compartment. It was elegantly decorated and other students stood around the compartment looking quite uncomfortble.

"What the hell is this?" She asked Blaise, looking around.

"This must be the two Slytherin's I invited!" A short plump man said happily, he seemed to appear from out of nowhere.

"Yes Sir." Blaise said politely.

"Blaise Zabini, I know your parents. Made a wonderful amount of money in the cauldren business I hear? Yes, yes they were always good students in class..." He said, he had a very shiny bald head and a great silver mustache. After the man that Mary gathered was a new professor, finnished talking to Blaise he turned to Mary.

"Mary Cane I see, well your father Michael was in my Potions class years ago. He was quite the clever one, it was a shame it was." He sad shaking his head. Mary was at a lost of what to say, she just nodded in the most polite way.

"Ah," He said pulling over a boy. "You must know Harry Potter, he is in your year of course. Harry, this is Blaise Zabini and Mary Cane." He said, introducing them. Harry looked very uncomfortable, he kept on pushing his glasses up on his nose. Although this did not stop him from staring Blaise down. Blaise gave him a equaly withering look. The professor was looking from Harry to Blaise.

"Actually I don't know Harry, nice to meet you." She said putting her hand out to shake Harry's. This seemed to break Harry and Blaise's staredown and Harry gruffly shook her hand.

"You too," He said almost incoherently. After Harry was whisked away Blaise and Mary found a place in the corner and sipped pumpkin juice.

"So who is that?" Mary asked Blaise, she felt like she was supposed to know him.

"Horace Slughorn, he must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but he taught my mum and dad potions." Blaise said, looking over at the plump man. "He apparently picks a lot of favorites, my mum talked about something called the 'Slug Club' which was basically a group he chose from their parents' status or something." Blaise explained.

"Ah," Mary said. "Quite an unfortunate name." Mary said. Blaise laughed.

"Yeah, but we are sure to pass his class." He said.

The party took a while to wind down, the train was already slowing down before he let them go change into their uniforms. Mary changed quickly and leaned against the misty window, the mist came from the dementors who had already left Azkaban. That was when she felt pressure against her leg, almost like a arm brushing past it. She looked over and saw nothing, only the floor of the compartment. She furrowed her brow, looking up she saw Malfoy glancing in her direction, right above her head. Mary had an inkling what was going on, but as she left the train she let Draco deal with it. Mary walked out into the night sky, the Howarts castle glowed in the distance. Mary smiled, she felt at home.

"Ms. Cane," She heard, turning her head she saw Proffesor McGonogal.

"Yes Professor?" She asked.

"I will need you to come with me." She said in a semi-grave voice, Mary furrowed her brow and walked over to the stern woman. She seemed to be looking for someone else, there was a woman next to her that Mary could not distinguish.

"Nymphadora, find Potter would you?" She asked, the woman nodded and dissapeared near the scarlett train.

"We don't have time to wait for Nymphadora, I suppose we better get going then." She said looking at her watch, frowning. She led Mary into a carriage and they rode in silence. Mary was trying to think of the many reasons she was with the professor, who was nervously checking her watch. When they got to the castle McGonogal took her by the arm and led her through the crowd. Every few seconds she would reprimand one of them for doing something unruly.

"Creevy, put down that camera!" She said with venom in her eyes. McGonogal led her through unfamiliar coridoors and up stairs untill Mary had no idea where she was anymore. Mary thought she was somewhere near Gryffindor Tower, but was no sure. McGonogal led her to a large statue and mumbled something Mary could not quite hear and the statue jumped out of the way. They went up a circular staircase into an office filled with portraits and very strange silver insturmants. Behind the desk she saw Albus Dumbledore sitting behind the desk looking weary. His face was as lined as ever and his glasses drooped over his his nose. Both hands were hidden in the folds of his cloak. The people in which Mary spent the bulk of her time did not approve of Dumbledore, they thought he was too soft, too sympathetic and mostly too keen on Potter.

"Ms. Cane," He said to her, serenly "Have a seat." Mary stepped forward cautiosly and sat in one of the seats facing the desk.

"Well I see Mr. Potter is late," Dumbledore asked her, looking her in the eye.

"I suppose." Mary said, still bewildered by why she was here in the first place.

"We won't wait for him," Dumbledore said with a smile. "This mostly concerns you anyway."

"Sir?" Mary asked, almost at her last nerve. Dumbledore waited a moment, taking a glance at the mirror in the corner. The mirror had a golden frame. It looked elegant but out of use, as if one day a long time ago it was quite glamourous. Mary noticed that it was decorated with tiny hourglasses.

"These are grave times we find ourselves in." He said,looking her in the eye again.

"Yes," She said, snapping back to attention.

"Mary, I must ask you something. It is a hard thing to ask, but it seems to be our last hope." Dumbledore said, his eyes had a melancholy to them. Mary didn't say anything but something rose in her chest that felt like insecurity.

Dumbledore continued, "As you know, Voldemort has put our world into a frenzy yet again." Mary nodded, a little numb but mostly curious. "He has no weakneses, he is stronger than ever. The ministry doesn't know how to take him down again. We need nothing short of a miracle, which was what destroyed him years ago." He said. "The minister came here last night and informed me of a way, the only way, to kill Voldemort. Believe me I was against it." He took a deep breath. "To defeat Voldemort we have to go through Tom Riddle." Dumbledore said, as if this explained everything.

"Who is Tom Riddle?" Mary demanded, more importantly what did this have to do with her?

"Tom Riddle was Voldemort's birth name, we have to go back in time to find a weekness to defeat him now." Dumbledore said. Suddenly it all dawned on Mary, she stood up.

"You want me to go back in time?" She said in outrage, just then the door opened and Harry Potter stumbled in. He looked a little paler than usual. Mary didn't give him a second thought. "No Sir, no way."

"What?" Harry said, a little perplexed.

"Harry sit down." Dumbledore beckoned. "Now Mary, why don't you also have a seat next to Mr. Potter." Mary sat down reluctantly. She glanced over at Harry who glanced back at her. Mary allowed Dumbledore to explain to Harry.

"Yes Sir I think thats a brilliant idea, will we use a time turner?" Harry asked excitedly. Mary stared at him agape, she knew Harry had a taste for the adventurous but she had no idea he also had a taste for the idiotic.

"You can't think this is a good idea, this is a horrible idea." She told Harry.

"Harry you won't be going back, that's Mary's job." Dumblefore said, ignoring her. Anger welled in Mary's chest. She hadn't agreed to this, in fact she had publicly displayed her negative opinions on the idea.

"Professor Dumbledore sir, I believe this idea is irrational. I think a wizard like yourself would know not to meddle in time." Mary said, mustering up all the politeness she still had in her.

"True Ms. Cane. But I have realized the only way to change the future is to go back in the past." He said thoughtfully. "And so has the minister." He said with a deep exhale.

"Cane...why should she go back, isn't she in Slytherin." Harry said with a little too much dislike in his voice.

"Whats wrong with people from Slytherin, Harry?" She asked him bitterly.

_"Please" _Dumbledore said, silencing them. "Mary is going back because...there was a prophecy." He said. Mary laughed, she realized both Dumbledore and Harry were looking at her as if she was crazy.

"A prophecy? Oh I see, that explains everything. Am I the chosen one too?" Mary asked mockingly.

"No," Dumbledore said "No...It says the one girl with no parents will find the key, the key to it all." Dumbledore recited.

"I don't believe you." Mary said after a long silence.

"Mary, you are the world's last hope. You must understand this, your parents did." He said. Mary stared at him for a long time, a fire burning in her eyes.

"What does that mean?" She asked through a clenched jaw.

"Why your mother fortold it. About a week before she...passed away." Dumbledore said sympathetically. Mary was silent once again. "Here," He said pushing a bit of parchment towards her.

_Dear Albus Dumbledore,_

_It feels silly to call you "professor" in my age so I addressed you by your full name. I wrote this letter in the deepest concern. Yesterday afternoon my work as an auror for the Ministry of Magic brought me to the unspeakables department to look at a certain prophecy. Of course when I saw my daughter's name on one of the orbs I had to look. I was suprised to find my and my husband's name next to it. I looked into the orb to see one of the old seers reciting something. He said "The one with no parents will go to the past, to find the key to a dark one." Thats all. I want to ask your advice on this matter and what it means. For I am very confused, and very worried._

_Yours Truly,_

_Matilda Cane_

Mary recognized her mother's handwriting, for years of reading her handwriting. Even the most pointless scraps of paper Mary cherished. She knew, her mother knew that she would die, knew the inevitable. She knew Mary would find the key to destroying...she couldn't even say the name.

"Okay," Mary said softly. "Just tell me what to do." She still had the letter cluthced in her hand. Dumbledore stared at her with a stunned expression on his face. Harry also stared.

"Mary, that mirror is called the Mirror of Time. Step through it and it will take you to a certain date. A date written on a piece of parchment in green ink. It will take you to my office, of course fifty years ago-"

"What will you tell everyone here? Won't they wonder where I went?" She asked.

"I will inform everyone that you are studying abroad at Beaxbatons Academy of Magic." He said, Mary knew then that he had everything worked out Despite his stunned expression he knew she would agree.

"I want you to give this to me when you see me." He said handing her a piece of parchment.

"And my things?"

"Are all taken care of." Dumbledore finnished for her, smiling.

"You will report back every Sunday evening to me. Just through the mirror." He said, still smiling.

"What about me?" Harry said, interrupting everyone. As Harry did, very often.

"Well you needed to know about this because it has to do with our lessons." Dumbledore explained.

Mary didn't want to know.

She stood up and walked towards the mirror.

"Your a very clever girl, perhaps the smartest student I have ever come by. I know you will come through." Dumbledore told her. He handed her the date, written in bright emerald ink on parchment. Mary nodded and faced the mirror. Looking at her reflection, at herself right in the blue eyes. She looked determined yet scared, still not understanding of it all. She pressed her fingertips to the mirror to find her finger made a ripple, as if she was touching completely stationary water. She then shut her eyes tightly, and walked through the mirror. She knew what she had to do, any other explanation Dumbledore had for her, she already knew.

After all this was her destiny, she had chosen it the minute she said yes.


End file.
